Lime spreader



Sept. 27, 1927. F. NIEHAUS v LIME SPREADBR Filed Oct. 4. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l v through Vis a body support Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATE-s,

FRANK NIEHAUS, OF BUTLER, ILLINOIS.

LIMEl srREADER.

Application filed October 4, 1926. Serial No. 139,377.

Myv invention relates to improvements in lime spreaders, and has for its primary object a device which can be readily mounted on the running gear of an ordinary arm wagon' for distribution of pulverized lime stone,` slaked lime, pulverized fertilizer, and the like, over a field.

A further object is to construct a device for the above mentioned purpose by which the distribution of the material can beregiilated by means of a valve.

A still further object is to construct a devise by means of which the distribution of material for treating soil can be regulated as to quantity by increasing or decreasing the speed of the distributing device.

My device is primarily intended for treating soil with certain chemicals or minerals, principally crushed construction and-operation I can apply a predetermined amount of saidmaterial over a predetermined space ofV ground.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the running gear of a lfarm wagon with parts broken away and in section showing my device in position thereon; f Y

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of my device removed from the running gear; and 1 Fig. 3 is a rear view of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention I employ a ruiming .gear 4, which running gearis the saine asl used for an ordinary farm wagon and which has rear wheels-5, frontv wheels 6s and a coupling pole 7. To one of the rear wheels is attached a sprocket wheel 8. This sprocket wheelisl of relatively large size and is provided with openings which hooks 9 extend. These hooks are-screw threaded on Vone end as indicated'by the numeral 10 to receive the nut 11 and are `designed to have their hooked ends pass around certain spokes so that the sprocket' wheel when in position will rotatel with the wheel. The sprocket wheel is made concentric vwith bored out so as ot the wheel.

Rest-ing in the trame of the running gear 12 which carries the body or container 13. This container has its sides 14 inclined inwardly Vand downwardly meeting in a bottom or apron rearwardly from the front wall of the container. The forward portion ot the conlime stone, and by itsv the rearwheel by beingV to snugly fitover the hub'l 15 which is spacedv tainer is supplied with a downwardly and'` rearwardly sloping portion 16 which carries a hinged apron 17. Traveling over the apron 15 is a double conveyor chain 18 across which slats 19 are secured at intervals thus making a slat conveyor. The rear end of the container is inclinedupwardly as "at 13a. The apron 15 is also provided with an upwardly inclined portion 20 which terminates above, and beyond the shaft 21 on which ksprocket wheels 22 are mounted. The conveyor chain passes [around these sprockets and in order to keep the chain conveyor in close proximity tothe apron 15 and the inclined portion 20, I supply guides 23 at the point where these two portions'meet. These guides extend above the chain yand prevent'it from raising up when in operation.

Adjacent the front of :the container is' located thel shaft 24 which is provided with sprocket wheels 25 around which the chains of the conveyor-pass. The shaft 24 is mount-ed in bearings 26 which are slidably mounted so that theyk can be moved backward and forward bymeans of the adjusting screws 27. These adjusting screws yare for the purpose of taking up excess slack. Mounted on the shaft 21 is a gear wheel 28 which meshes with a rear 29. The gear 29 is mounted on a shaIt 30. This shaft projects through the frame 12`and has mounted thereon a step sprocket 31. lThis step sprocket is composed of three integral sprocket wheels ofv different diameter and is slidably secured' toV the shaft 30 by means of al set screw or other fastening means 32v so that 'the step gear can be shiftedA sidewise and thus regulate the speed at which the shaft is driven in proportion tothe travel of the vehicle thereby controlling the speedfof the conveyor. l f v Y Located above the conveyor and within Vthe container 13 isa falserbottom 33. This bottom lis so 'constructed of laterally extending boards or sections and isk designed to bear most of vthe weight of the 'material within the'pc'ontainer but is so arranged that as the material is carried away and delivered in the field, it can be gradually removed. In this -way the conveyor does not have the full weight of the load resting upon it and makes my device easy to move over the ground whereas if the full weight of the material were resting on theconveyor, it would require a great amount ot power to dratvtlie deviceover tlie'ground for the reason that the resistance oiiered to the conveyor vvould be added to the resistance of drawing t-he device over the ground `a^ddition to the load. A

At the rear end of the containerv 13 is a gate 84 which is slidably mounted so' that it can be raised and lowered, thus increasing the space between tli'e gateand the conveyor andperinittiiig. more or less material to be discharged at a.time.- This regulation hovvever isfseparate and distinct from y the speed regtiiation thereby' giving it a double control on a quantity of material de vlivered. In this .Way I can accurately control the .delivery of the material to the ground'v either by raising: orloivering the gate or by increasingorc decreasing speed Aof the conveyor.

The operation of my device is'as follows: The frame 12 together with the cntainer Visplaced onthe running gear of a vehicle,

.the one rear Wheel.. removed and the sprocket. 8 secured in position by means ot the hooks 9. .The sprocket. chain is thenplaced around thefsproclret 8 and one of the `stepsprockets 31,.lin`ls being removed or 4added as required Vto take care of the variations in v diameter ofthe steps of the last mentioned sprocket,` The false bottom .3B is then`V placedin position andthe device loaded with the material to be distributed. .In this connection I desire to state that the gear A29 is also slidabl-y mounted and secured to the shaft 3()Y by means of a set-screw 36 so that it canfbe movedL out of mesh wvith the gear This permits me to drive thev iv'agon to a predetermined point before starting tliedevicein operation, in other v ;W'or'ds byV shifting the gear 29 so that itv is. out ofinesh, the conveyor will not .bevplaced in-opeiation until a desired point hasbeen p the gear 28and `the device is reached. Upon yreaching the pointer distribution,I adjust the gate 34 to a predeter A mined height ,accordingV to the quantity of. material to be distributed. Thel gear 29 is then `pushed over so as to be in mesh With ready to commence distributing.

Forward movement of the device now moves the conveyorin the direction indi- `cated by the arrow iny Fig. 2 and the slats l' carry the materialup on the apron land7 the inc linedportion 20 discharging .it overl the rear of the vehicle. As the load at the rear oi` ,the container sinks down due to distribution, it will gradually reach 'such a the bottom, a

operating said conveyor, means and Within AWeight oit-material in the container on'the point that no more Will fall on .the conveyor. Just beforethis point is reached', I .remove one of the boards of, the falsebottom thus restoring the supply of material from Vthe container to the-conveyor. This is continued until the entire load has been discharged.

In1V the meantime the hinged apron 17 moves l up and down as the slats' pass thereunder `and etfect'uately prevents material from rallving through the space bet-Ween the apron and the front -Wall of the container.

,morel material is desired f to be discharged, I either raise the Ygate slightlyr or loosen the set screw 32 and-shift over. thel step sproclet Sl'v'so as Vto obtain a Jfaster drive. This faster drive however is only desirable when rthe gateV 3e is down i'airlyl low so thatthe conveyor will not have-to described my invention,

having front Wall,fi.iiWa rdly and downwardly inclined side walls, arear Wall, and a bottoni, said bottom being spacedrear- Wardly oi". the' front .Wall and having! its g 4reareiid upwardly .inclined, a 'conveyorl passing around s'aid bettoimguidescarried by for holding saideonveyor against the bottoni, a hinged apron Y'carried by theront Wall for preventingtlie vpassage ot material throughthe space* between sai-d Wall and Y sliding gateaadjustably secured at the rear 'of the receptacle and'iinnjiediately above the conveyor for regulating the amount oit'. materialV discharged thereitrom,

means `driveii bysaid Wheeled support for tor .placing saidconveyor inand out oit op'eration,"and

a sectionalremovable falsejbottom located abovetlie forward portion ottliecoiiveyor the container for relievingthe conveyor. f

l In` testimonywhereo` I 'have affixed my signature." V f Y .y FRANK' infaiiims,Y

`the, side Wall adjacent the v.inclined .portion ioo 

